


Endings and Beginnings

by Writingwife83



Category: Grantchester (TV)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Bromance, F/M, Feelings, Friendship/Love, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 00:13:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8181199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writingwife83/pseuds/Writingwife83
Summary: What might have happened right after Amanda meets Sidney and tells him that she's left Guy? This seems a realistic possibility to me...





	

**Author's Note:**

> In case you subscribe to my fics, you might be wondering what this is since I normally only write BBC Sherlock stuff. Hopefully you've seen Grantchester, but if you haven't I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! It's my other favorite crime solving team on tv haha. I actually wrote this one shot for my mom, who is as nuts about Grantchester as I am about Sherlock. I figured I'd give her a little something after we finished watching series 2 and were wishing there was something more.

Sidney took a deep breath and blew it out in a puff before finally raising his fist and knocking at the Keating’s door. It didn’t take long for him to hear Geordie’s steps approaching, and when he opened the door he still wore a rather pleasant expression from a day of celebrating.

“Sidney! Back already?” Geordie said with a short chuckle. “There’s no cake left, if that’s what you’re after.”

“No.” Sidney gave him a tight smile, looking a bit sheepish. “Actually, um…I’ve come to ask you and Cathy for a bit of a favor.”

Geordie took only a moment to look over his friend’s expression and obviously read between the lines. He reached out and slapped a hand onto Sidney’s shoulder. “Sounds like you’d better come inside…”

* * *

Amanda smiled at Sidney as she and Cathy headed up the narrow stairs of the Keating’s flat. Sidney and Geordie were quiet for a moment as they both stood there, the sound of the women’s soft chatting carrying downstairs a bit as Cathy showed Amanda into her temporary room. Finally, just as Sidney would have expected, Geordie turned to him and spoke in a hushed but somewhat admiring tone.

“You sly dog…”

Sidney shook his head and sighed. “Geordie, it’s…it’s not like that.”

“How long?” Geordie pressed as he ushered him into the sitting room. “Come on, I know you. It’s probably been eating away at you, so you’d better just get it off your chest and be done with it.” He grabbed a glass and began to pour some whiskey, likely hoping to encourage more information out of his friend.

“No, honestly,” Sidney repeated as he took a seat on the sofa. “There’s been nothing going on.”

Geordie looked a bit unconvinced as he took a seat and handed Sidney the whiskey. “And even if that’s true, what happens now? You’re gonna tell me that you two have no intention of being together?”

Sidney took a silent and telling swig of his drink.

Geordie snorted out a laugh and took a drink of his own. “You’re in deep now, aren’t you?”

“I appreciate you letting her stay here for a while,” Sidney said, attempting to steer the conversation a bit. “She was going to stay at an inn, but she’s got almost no money. And she didn’t want to be somewhere that Guy or her father could easily track her down either. I don’t think they know she’s friendly with you and Cathy. And naturally, we didn’t think it was a good idea for her to stay at the vicarage.”

“You and your rules, Sidney,” Geordie scoffed sarcastically. “What ever makes you think keeping your pregnant married girlfriend at the vicarage would turn heads?”

Sidney set his drink down and leaned back against the sofa, running his hands over his face and letting out a muffled groan. “What are we going to do?”

“It’s just a little scandal,” Geordie said with a shrug.

“Scandals aren’t little for vicars, Geordie,” Sidney countered. “And I just can’t see how it can be avoided now.” The furrow in his brow seemed set in stone as he stared off blankly in front of him.

“Which means you want to be with her,” the inspector stated casually. “You know how scandal can be avoided, but you can’t possibly see your way to doing that.” He looked at Sidney pointedly. “You never could, could you? And now more than ever you still can’t.”

“Can’t what?” Sidney asked quietly.

Geordie glanced toward the doorway at the sound of footsteps descending the stairs. He leaned over and quickly finished his thought before the ladies came into the room.

“Let her go.”

* * *

“Thanks again,” Amanda said softly, standing in the Keating’s doorway.

Sidney smiled back, almost able to pretend that everything was fine and they were both perfectly content now. “It’s alright, I didn’t mind. And they’re happy to help…for a while at least.” After a moment of silence, he felt compelled to offer some sort of possible hope. “Perhaps you should talk to your father again. Go to him and tell him everything, and maybe you can gain his support.”

Amanda almost instantly began shaking her head at the suggestion. “You didn’t hear him, Sidney,” she said sadly. “If I’m not willing to stay with Guy, then he wants nothing to do with me, let alone help me with a divorce!”

Sidney shifted on his feet and looked thoughtful. “Maybe I could try to talk to him and-“

Amanda’s hand shot out to rest on his cheek as she smiled at him affectionately. “You’re lovely to offer, you know. And you’re lovely to have such grand hopes…you always do manage to see the good in people.” She removed her hand and sniffed a bit. “But you can’t make this easy or fix it for me. Heaven knows, I wish you could. It’s just such a mess, and there’s nothing to be done but for me to sweep it away now as best I can,”

Sidney reached out to take hold of her hand. “I’m not going anywhere, Amanda,” he said firmly.

Amanda sniffed again and quickly swiped at her eyes, but also managed a brave smile. “Well now…I suppose that does make things a little easier.”

Sidney grinned. Despite it all, despite whatever was about to happen or what they were both about to be put through, he still didn’t find it all that hard to smile. In fact, if he were honest he knew he should probably feel a lot worse than he did right at this moment. But he just couldn’t manage it.

“I should go,” he finally said, knowing he’d need to get back before Mrs. M threw a fit wondering where he’d gone off to.

Amanda nodded. “You can kiss me,” she said with a little break in her voice, turning her head just slightly and pointing to her cheek…just like old times.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to her cheek, giving her a soft smile as he pulled away.

Of course, it didn’t truly feel like old times anymore, and he felt pretty sure that it never would again. That was all gone now. And so, for the first time in an awfully long time, it wasn’t the memories of the past that warmed his awfully tired heart as he waved to Amanda while riding off on his bicycle. No, it was the possibilities of the future and what could be.

It was hope.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and would love to hear what you think! ;)


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